Palestinians Hold Mass Funeral for Assailant Killed by Hebron Soldier

Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, a Palestinian assailant who was shot and killed by Israeli soldier Elor Azaria in March as he lay disarmed on the ground, was buried on Saturday in Hebron. Israel had returned al-Sharif’s body to his family on Friday.

A crowd estimated at 1,000 attended the funeral of al-Sharif’s, whose body was wrapped in a Hamas flag, as seen in a video broadcast by Hamas channel Al-Quds TV. Cries of “Allahu akbar” (God is great) as well as other slogans could be heard from the crowds.

Israel has expressed concern that the burials of slain attackers are being used to incite against the Jewish state. As interim defense minister, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the return of the body for burial.

On Saturday, Sharif’s father Yusri, 43, demanded that “a fair sentence” be handed down against Azaria. “The Israelis must judge their own just as they judge the Palestinians,” he told AFP. “Imagine if it was the other way around, that a Palestinian had killed someone. They would sentence him to life,” he added.